Welcome to Reception Class

I would like to welcome you to the Reception Class of Ysgol Penrhyn. While your child is in this class he/she will be taught in a happy, secure, stimulating environment.

Intellectual, social and physical skills will be developed through purposeful play activities. Your child will be encourage to become independent in self-skills and classroom routine.

The Curriculum

The curriculum will be delivered through the Foundation Phase Framework.

Areas include:

Language, Literacy and Communication skills

Early reading skills are developed through speaking and listening activities - stories, rhymes, looking at and talking about books, audio tapes and puppets.

Mathematical Development

Throughout the year practical activities reinforce new concepts and processes. The children will learn to sort, match, count, recognises, read, write and order numbers to 10 and higher while working at their own level. They will learn the conservation of their numbers and to add and subtract using real objects. They will learn about 2D and 3D shapes, capacity, comparative measurement, weighing and money.

Knowledge and Understanding of the World

The children will be given the opportunity to explore the world around them, both indoors and out. To develop skills of enquiry, to ask questions and to predict outcomes.

Physical Development

During the year the children will develop their gross motor and movement skills through P.E. and Music and Movement B.B.C. audio movement tapes. The enclosed outdoor play area is available to the Reception children every afternoon and we take every opportunity to use it. Threading, sewing cards, jigsaws, cutting out, drawing, colouring, painting, use of scissors, throwing and catching a ball are all activities to develop the fine motor skills needed for good pencil control. Letter formation is taught alongside phonic recognition. When a child starts to write their own name it is important that they only use a capital letter to start their name, not for it all. A letter formation information sheet is available if you require one.

Creative Development

Speaking and listening are very important throughout all areas of learning. We use stories, rhymes, puppets, finger puppets and role-play to develop imagination and story re-call skills. The role-play area is changed once a term and is based on the school topic for that term. We look at and discuss the work of artists and crafts people and use a variety of materials to create our own artwork, making music and clapping out rhythms, learning new songs and vocabulary in Welsh.

Personal and Social Development and Well being and Cultural diversity

Children will be encouraged to learn about themselves, their relationships with other children and adults, to encourage their self-esteem and moral values.

Welsh Language Development

The children will be given the opportunity to learn and use the Welsh language in a variety of situations.

The Autumn Term

During the Autumn term the children will be settling in and adjusting to the new classroom routine. Your child will be very tired, as he/she will not be used to being in school all day. It will be a long day at first but he/she will soon adjust.

Most of the teaching and learning during this first term will be based on practical activities and speaking and listening games.

The Daily Routine

When the bell goes at 9 o’clock the children line up on the yard. Miss Edwards and Mrs Booker bring the children into the cloakroom area in school. Children sit at their tables for registration then move to the carpet for language and number based activities. Throughout the morning reading, writing and number based activities are covered.

In the afternoon, we have the whole of the Early Years area to use and sand, water, creative, construction and role-play activities take place. Outdoor play is also planned. The children have free choice in this area during the afternoon.

Preparing your child for the Reception class

Your child will settle into Reception easily if you can:

Get your child to recognise their own coat and lunch box.

Encourage your child to open their own lunch box and drinks for lunchtime.

Encourage good listening skills.

Encourage turn taking and sharing.

Talk positively to your child about school, encourage your child to come into school on their own.

Encourage your child to look at and talk about the pictures in books.

Take every opportunity to count with your child.

Encourage curiosity with open-ended questions.

Encourage your child to be independent, with coats and getting changes for P.E.

What does my child need for school?

A pump bag for PE with the child’s name on, containing a tee shirt, shorts and pumps. This can be left in school and taken home when you need to wash the PE kit.

Healthy snacks are on sale for the mid-morning break . If you wish your child to partake please send £1.50 in an envelope clearly marked with your child’s name and amount enclosed, on a Monday morning.

Bottles of water are allowed to be brought into the classroom for the children to drink during the day. The bottles must be of the sports type, clearly marked with your child’s name. The bottles can be refilled from the water dispenser in the school’s main corridor. Only water is allowed in the bottles.

School uniform should be worn and items of clothing should be clearly marked with your child’s name.

I look forward to seeing you in September and hope your child settles in quickly. If you have any problems or worries please let us know. We are always available before and after a school day.